Improvement in balloons



G; WRIGHT.

BALLOON.

No. 45,665. Patented. 1160.27, 1864.

.271 F872 92 2; em e; I I flwzw nu: mmms PETERS c WASHINGTON. c.

PATENT OFFICE.

} A. G. WRIGHT, OF SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BALLOONS;

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No.

45.666, dated Decernher :27. 186i; antedated December 24, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, A. G. WRIGHT, of Santa Cruz, in the county of SantaCruz and State of California, have invented a new-and useful Improvementin Air-Balloons; and I do hereby declare that the following isa-ful1,-clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is uninverted plan of thesame. t

- Similar letters of reference-inboth'views indicate correspondingparts.

This invention consists in a boatshaped car connected directly to thelower edge of the balloon in such 'a manner that said balloon assumesthe shape of an. ordinary sea-going vessel, and that the same can bereadily propelled and steered in the air in any desired direction,giving to the operator the same facilities as it on board of an ordinaryvessel.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe it. p

Arepresents an air-ballooinflnademf oil-silk or other suitablematerial,"i n the shape of a huge boat with a sharp bow and rounded orflat stern, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The lower edge of thisballoong'i's fastened directly to the car B; whichhas the" shape ofanordinary boat. It is made of lightmaterial sufficiently strong tosustain thelweight which itis intended to bear and high enough to aiford convenient room for the aeronauts oroperat0rs.' Ahorizontalpartition separates the boat from the gas-space of theballoon, and theboat contains the requisite machinery for the purpose of driving apropeller, '0, which is secured toits stern, and it is provided with arudder, D, whereby, the course of the balloon can be governed thesa neas thatof a vessel navigating in thezwater. The boat also contaius therequisite apparatus for the purpose of generating hydrogen gas toinflate the balloon','and said balloon must be provided with one ormor'e valves to let the gas escape in case it is desired to'descend. Byconnecting the casing of the balloon directly-to the boat the entireballoon is rendered much more compact and easier to manage than anordinary balloon. The operator or operators have complete control overall the machinery, and also over, the quantity of gas contained in theballoon. This quautitycan bereduced oriucreased at any moment, and,consequently, the motionsor" the balloon can be better regulated thanthey can with a balloon of the ordinary construction. Furthermore, by"giving to the ,the balloon A directly to the upper edge of theboat-shaped car B substantial] yin the inanner and for the purposes setforth.

' A- G. WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

0.0. CUMMINGS,

O. '1". Hnoo.

